Victoria Police has frequently failed rape victims, report finds

POLICE refused to take statements from four victims of a serial rapist who was later jailed for 10 years after abusing 20 women, a report into Victoria Police's handling of sexual assault claims has found. 
 
The report also found that detectives often blame victims, are poorly trained and are drawn from a "fatally flawed" recruitment process.

The five-year, $1.3 million study, led by Prof Caroline Taylor and 11 Edith Cowan University researchers, was conducted in partnership with Victoria Police and released earlier this year.

Read the complete findings here

The failure in the serial rapist's case came to light in a review of more than a hundred case files. Researchers also interviewed detectives and prosecutors, and surveyed more than 300 victims.

The Policing Just Outcomes report, funded by the Australian Research Council and Victoria Police, found officers did not keep all reports of sexual assaults and frequently dissuaded victims from making formal complaints.

It recommended sweeping changes to sexual assault police training and an overhaul of the recruitment of officers to the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation teams, which were created in 2009.

Jennifer Philippiadis said she had to fight with police to get them to take seriously accusations against convicted rapist Peter Charles Brennan.

Ms Philippiadis, who owned a massage therapy clinic where Brennan worked but was not one of his victims, said she was disillusioned with police.

"I don't think they realise how hard it is for a woman to actually step up and step forward," she said.
Investigators told researchers they sometimes turned away sex assault victims because they were too overworked to deal with their complaints, and lacked resources. Police also said adult victims reporting sex abuse from their childhood were often treated as "time wasters".

The report found victims often felt angry and powerless after speaking to police. One said she would tell other victims not to report crimes. "The humiliation, trauma and pain of the assault was exacerbated by my dealings with the initial police," she said.

The report recommended "serious and urgent consideration" be given to the resources Victoria Police provide to sexual assault investigators, a review to remove "inept" investigators and an overhaul of training and recruitment.

Detective Supt Rod Journing said there had been an increase in the number of sexual assault and child abuse reports in recent years. "There are indications that more victims are gaining the confidence to come forward to police."

heraldsun.com.au 24 Jun 2013

What the general populous are not aware of is that the police are a CORPORATION and  therefore function as a BUSINESS.

What the police must do is to log 'jobs' that bring in revenue, i.e. easy money for the government, this includes speeding infringement notices, and court cases that 'fine' people.

There is no policy to 'protect' the public, as the police are subservient to government or authorities (including corporations) and NOT the masses.